Sam Smith plans to delay the release of their third studio album and rename it amid thecoronavirus pandemic.

The 'Stay With Me', 27, singer, who was expected to release the album To Die For on May 1, took to Instagram to explain the decision.

Sam Smith. (AAP)

Smith wrote, "I have done a lot of thinking the last few weeks and feel that the title of my album and imminent release doesn't feel right, so I have come to the decision to continue working on the album and make some important changes and additions."

Smith assured fans that new music is on the way, but an official release date is yet to be established.

"I will be renaming my album and pushing back the release date — both of which are to be confirmed at this time," said Smith. "Don't worry though, there will be an album this year, I promise! But until then I am still going to bring out some new music over the next few months, which I'm incredibly excited about."

They added: "Thank you for always being by my side and for your understanding and patience. I always want to do right by you. Always."

Smith has already released four singles from the album, including 'Dancing With a Stranger', 'How Do You Sleep?', 'To Die For', and 'I Feel Love.'

Coronavirus: What you need to know

How is coronavirus transmitted?

The human coronavirus is only spread from someone infected with COVID-19 to another. This occurs through close contact with an infected person through contaminated droplets spread by coughing or sneezing, or by contact with contaminated hands or surfaces.

What are the symptoms of someone infected with coronavirus?

Coronavirus patients may experience flu like symptoms such as a fever, cough, runny nose, or shortness of breath. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia with severe acute respiratory distress.

What is the difference between COVID-19 and the flu?

The symptoms of COVID-19 and the flu are very similar, as they both can cause fever and respiratory issues.

Both infections are also transmitted the same way, via coughing or sneezing, or by contact with hands, surfaces or objects contaminated with the virus.

The speed of transmission and the severity of the infection are the key differences between COVID-19 and the flu.

The time from infection to the appearance of symptoms is typically shorter with the flu. However, there are higher proportions of severe and critical COVID-19 infections.